Cod potato cakes

Flavourful fish cakes made with cod, mashed potatoes, onion, garlic, lemon zest, egg, bread crumbs and lots of fresh herbs. Lightly fried until crispy, these cod cakes are perfect served with a fresh squeeze of lemon. They are the perfect way to use up any cooked cod, and mashed potatoes.

Growing up Greek I always understood that Greeks have a special relationship with cod (bakaliaros). This is despite the fact that you don’t find fresh cod in the waters around Greece. Salt preservation and curing however have made Atlantic cod an important staple for many European countries, particularly for those people living in non-coastal communities. In fact, cod has been an important commodity in Europe and the other parts of the world for over 1,000 years.

For many in Greece, and the Greek diaspora, bakaliaros is the traditional food served on March 25th, to celebrate Greek independence from Ottoman rule, a day which also coincides with the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. To make this traditional meal, salted cod is soaked for days and then batter fried and served with skordalia (a potato garlic spread) and greens.

Why I love this recipe

Salted cod is a beautiful thing, and so versatile. Fresh cod however is also amazing. Cod is a pretty mild flavoured yet hearty fish and its creamy white colour and flaky, delicate texture lend themselves to creating elegant dishes, like our herbed cod with pasta. and marinated artichokes. At the same time cod is the perfect base for making delicious cod cakes.

I have been fortunate to spend time in Newfoundland & Labrador, the easternmost Canadian province which sits on the Atlantic Ocean. Cod fishing is an important industry there and cod is a staple ingredient in the local cuisine, including cod cakes which often appeared at breakfast (and lunch, and dinner).

It was the many wonderful meals enjoyed in Newfoundland that inspired this recipe for cod potato cakes. Although the potato adds substance to these fish cakes, the flavour and texture of the cod still comes through, enhanced by the fresh herbs and the lemon. The outside is crispy and the inside remains moist – these are definitely some of the best cod potato cakes I have ever had, and I’ve had lots!

Key ingredients

It doesn’t take much to make these amazing cod and potato cakes. This is everything that you will need:

Cod I use cod fillet that is either fresh, or salted. If it is salted, then you have to prepare a few days in advance because the cod has to be soaked in several changes of water to remove the salt.

Potatoes I use any potatoes that I have on hand, but if I have a choice then I use Yukon Gold or another yellow fleshed potato. They are creamy, and delicious!

Onion I use yellow onion. It is mild and easily available. It is also an onion that cooks up really well, caramelizing nicely.

Garlic Whenever possible I use locally grown garlic. A good head of garlic is going to taste so much better than the mass produced and imported variety.

Egg One large egg is all it takes to bind all of the ingredients together.

Bread crumbs I use plain bread crumbs that I purchase. If you want to make your own bread crumbs, by all means, go ahead and do that!

Fresh herbs In this fish cakes I like to use plenty of fresh dill and parsley.

Lemon The citrus zing of lemon goes so well with these cod cakes. I use both lemon zest and lemon juice in the mix, and then I serve my cod cakes with lemon wedges. So good!

Olive oil I fry my cod cakes in olive oil. I don’t care what popular kitchen wisdom might say about smoke points and stuff. My yiayias and my mama fry in olive oil, and so do I!

Salt & pepper Basics guys! Every recipe can use some salt and pepper.

How to make cod potato cakes

Step 1
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare your cod by patting it dry with paper towels. Next place the fish in a baking pan coated with the olive oil. Season fish with salt and pepper. Bake in the middle rack of your oven for 12 – 15 minutes, until the cod is flaky and cooked through. Allow to cool until easy to handle.

Step 2
While the cod is cooking, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat until soft and translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.

Step 3
In a large bowl break apart the cooked cod with your fingers, leaving some small chunks. Add the cooked onion and garlic, the mashed potatoes, lemon juice and rind, the herbs, the egg, the breadcrumbs and salt and pepper. Mix gently, until well combined.

Step 4
Prepare your cod cakes by forming them with damp hands. We like to use about 2 – 3 tablespoons of mixture for each cod cake; any larger and they become difficult to flip in the pan as they cook. Shape them into rounds and flatten until they are approximately ½ inch thick.

Step 5
Heat about ⅓ inch of oil in a frying pan and fry the cod potato cakes, a few at a time so as to not crowd the pan. Flip over carefully after a few minutes. The cod cakes are ready when they are golden brown on both sides. This will take about 4 minutes / side.

Recipe substitutions

You can use a different variety or mix of fresh herbs for this recipe. Fresh chives, basil and tarragon would all work very nicely. Fresh cilantro would also be nice.

You can fry your cod cakes in another type of oil if you prefer. Something like avocado or canola oil could work well.

Recipe variations

Instead of using cod you can make these fish cakes with another white fish. You can even use canned tuna or salmon that you drain very well. Either would be delicious.

Instead of frying your fish cakes, you can bake them in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet for between 10 – 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

Helpful hints

The key to making exceptional cod potato cakes is to treat the cod right. After it is cooked, break the cod apart with your fingers. Although much of it will be finely crumbled, you should keep most of it in small chunks. These chunks will break down as you are mixing your ingredients together but you should still be able to see pieces of intact cod in your mixture. Leftover cod can be used in this recipe as well, so long as it was prepared simply.

The potatoes should be mashed very well. If you need to add some water to the potatoes add some of the water you boiled your potatoes in. Leftover mashed potatoes work really well in this recipe.

How to serve

These fish cakes make a great light meal when served with a side salad. I like to serve them with a Greek maroulosalata (lettuce salad) or a fennel salad. If you want a warm side, how about grilled fennel, or grilled zucchini. Either, or both, would be amazing!

No matter how you serve them, be sure to add some lemon wedges so that a fresh squirt of lemon juice can be added. This really brings out the delicious flavour!

Related recipes

Looking for more cod (bakaliaro) recipes? Check these out:

Herb baked cod with pasta and marinated artichokes An elegant way to prepare cod, with delicious egg noodles. This is a fresh tasting dish, with lots of fresh herbs.

Cod with eggplant and potatoes So delicious! The cod is fried and then finished in the oven with eggplant and potatoes in a rich tomato sauce.

Cod and skordalia This is a very traditional Greek recipe. Fried salted cod is served with garlic mash potatoes. A real treat!

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Recipe for cod potato cakes

Thanks for sharing!